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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30014055">pathetic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunset_madi/pseuds/sunset_madi'>sunset_madi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>percabeth scenes we were robbed of [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>13 year old percabeth, Angst, Annabeth Chase is a Good Friend (Percy Jackson), Baby Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson), Baby Percabeth, Canon Compliant, F/M, Happy Ending, Platonic Romance, Poor Baby Percy Jackson, Sea of Monsters, Sirens, SoM - Freeform, Young Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson), Young Percy Jackson, percy jackson has low self-esteem, platonic percabeth, post sea of monsters, post som, pre the titans curse, pre ttc, young Percabeth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:40:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,339</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30014055</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunset_madi/pseuds/sunset_madi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm fine," I said, not looking at her.</p><p>She scoffed. "Liar."</p><p>She was right. But I couldn't-</p><p>"Why don't you want me to be apart of your future?"</p><p>or</p><p>Percy starts thinking about the vision Annabeth had in while listening to the sirens in the Sea of Monsters.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>percabeth scenes we were robbed of [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2203263</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>128</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>pathetic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>so uh</p><p>yeah ig</p><p>enjoy?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I looked at the horizon. At the choppy waves hitting the sand before returning to the ocean</p><p>It had been replaying in the back of my head ever since we got back. Maybe even before that. I was thinking about it while we were on the quest. I knew I was. I was a little distracted by all the almost dying to pay it too much attention. But now...</p><p>I don't know why I didn't ask Annabeth while we were talking. I was embarrassed, I guess. She was vulnerable in that moment. Annabeth Chase was never vulnerable. </p><p>At least not in front of anyone. At least not before.</p><p>She had opened up to me. I owed it to her to stay strong. Even if I wasn't as strong as her. She had a low moment. I couldn't be weak. You can't hold someone when they cry if you don't have the strength to carry them.</p><p>Yet, there was only one thing I could think about. And I hated it.</p><p>Why was it bothering me so much? It wasn't even real.</p><p>But she wanted it to be.</p><p>It was so stupid. If I asked Annabeth, I wasn't sure what she would say. Would she not know the answer? Would she laugh at me? Would she apologize? Would she cringe and make something up on the spot? I was praying to the gods that she wouldn't feel guilty. It wasn't something she could control. I couldn't have her pitying me. I would just look pathetic.</p><p>Then again, I was always a little pathetic. Annabeth knew that. She had seen me at (or at least heard about) my worst moments. She knew about all that. I was a Seaweed Brain. And she was friends with me anyway.</p><p>But this was a different kind of pathetic. I couldn't tell you if it's better or worse. It's a whole other breed. A whole other breed of desperation.</p><p>Would this be too much? Even if she didn't make me feel like a total loser, it would probably make things really awkward for the next few... days? Weeks? Months? </p><p>Then there was the other thing.</p><p>Annabeth was vulnerable with me. And I didn't think any less of her. She was still one of the strongest people I knew. Shouldn't I trust her to be the same way about this?</p><p>But that wasn't the same as this. Those were real problems that Annabeth had. Real trauma and insecurities that she had to deal with.</p><p>This... this was basically the same thing as when you didn't get invited to someone's birthday party. You could not do anything about it and find something else to do. Being the bigger person is probably the right thing to do. But the fact that you weren't invited to that party (especially if the person hosting it is your friend) is still going to bother you.</p><p>Of course, if you're one of the people who thinks that the highroad isn't quite their style, you could always crash the party. Show up uninvited. Total power move, but the person hosting the party is going to hate you for it. There's a reason they didn't ask you to be here. You're ruining everything.</p><p>That's exactly what this was like. Except it really wasn't. This wasn't a party. This was a future. This was a life. Annabeth's future. Annabeth's life.</p><p>And I was uninvited.</p><p>How do you ask your friend why they don't want you to be apart of your future? If they don't want you to be apart of their future, does that mean they don't want you to be apart of their life at all? Every moment you spend with them, are they just wishing you didn't exist?</p><p>Annabeth Chase's dream life included her father who she had despised for years. Her mother who, like most gods, never visited her. Luke, who betrayed her trust.</p><p>But it did not include me. I wanted Annabeth to be happy and if that required me not being around longer than I had to be, so be it. I couldn't force myself into her life. That would ruin her happiness. She would hate me. That was the last thing I wanted</p><p>I, Percy Jackson, was not going to be apart of Annabeth Chase's future.</p><p>And as much as that killed me, it was the truth.</p><p>"Hey, Seaweed Brain."</p><p>Her.</p><p>"Oh, uh, Wise Girl. Hey."</p><p>She plopped herself down on the sand next to me. "You seem out of it."</p><p>"I'm fine," I said, not looking at her.</p><p>She scoffed. "Liar."</p><p>She was right. But I couldn't-</p><p>"Why don't you want me to be apart of your future?"</p><p>Damnit. My big mouth just had to go around and ruin everything.</p><p>She looked confused. "What?"</p><p>I sighed. Too late to turn back now. "The sirens. When you heard their song, you saw a vision of your future. What you wanted your future to look like. It's dumb. I know I haven't known you as long as most people at camp, but... We're close, right? It's just that, you're one of my best friends. I just... I don't know."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"I'm sorry, it's stupi-"</p><p>"No," she said. "It's not. Let me explain."</p><p>"There's nothing for you to explain. I'm not mad at you."</p><p>"Percy." She put her hand on my knee. "Please. Just listen to me."</p><p>I prepared myself for humiliation. "Okay."</p><p>"Okay. So, honestly? I was confused by why you weren't there at first too. It's like you said. We're friends. You weren't there. Neither was Grover. Or Silena. Chiron. None of the people I had met at camp. Even though you guys have been a huge part of my life. I didn't get it."</p><p>"So, your explanation is... you don't know?"</p><p>"Let me finish, Seaweed Brain."</p><p>"Okay. I'm sorry."</p><p>"I looked more into it," she said. "That vision showed me my mom, my dad, Luke and New York City."</p><p>"But it was designed by you," I remembered.</p><p>"Yeah, that was the main thing that gave it away. "</p><p>"New York?"</p><p>"The fact that it was designed by me. Then, I started thinking about it more. In that vision, my mom and dad were together. Luke wasn't evil. New York was exactly how I wanted it to be."</p><p>"Your dream future."</p><p>"No. That's when it hit me. My parents... they aren't a perfect couple. They aren't even a couple. And no matter how much I want him to be, Luke isn't who he used to be. They weren't... them. They were the perfect versions of themselves. The stuff in that vision wasn't things I wanted in my future. It was stuff I wanted to fix. Stuff I wanted to change."</p><p>Oh.</p><p>OH.</p><p>If I tried to say something I would most definitely make a fool out of myself.</p><p>Which is exactly what I did.</p><p>"You really think I'm that perfect?"</p><p>She laughed. "No. No, you're far from perfect, Percy. Sometimes you really annoy me. But it's things like that that make you you. I wouldn't have it any other way." Her eyes softened. "You're not perfect, Percy. And that's okay. I wouldn't try to change you."</p><p>I was tongue tied. I'm pretty sure I was blushing, because she took a look at my face and started going red too.</p><p>She cleared her throat. "I- I mean, I wouldn't try to change anyone at camp. Because camp is a home. We're a huge, weird, messed up family. The kind you complain about all the time, but wouldn't trade for the world. We don't need fixing because we're not broken. I love you. All of you."</p><p>I nodded, not sure what to say. "That's deep, bro. You should be a therapist."</p><p>She glared at me. "You're such a Seaweed Brain."</p><p>"But you wouldn't change me," I teased.</p><p>"No. I wouldn't," she said genuinely.</p><p>And even if it was totally platonic, that was the first time Annabeth Chase had told me that she loved me. And I couldn't help but feel giddy about it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hope you guys liked this:) my exams are over so hopefully ill be able to write more. idk what i want to do for my next one shot so send me your headcanons and if i see one i think ill be able to write, i will. ill also credit you (obviously).</p><p>but seriously what do i do for my next one.</p><p>@unsaidary on twitter.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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